How to avoid a travel nightmare at MIA and FLL during Memorial Day weekend

MIAMI – More people in Florida than ever before are traveling for Memorial Day, about a quarter of a million by air and another two and a half million by car. 

For those traveling by plane, TSA expects this Friday to be the busiest day, with nearly three million people flying. 

“The rush has essentially already started. TSA says that they had two of their busiest days ever last weekend,” said Clint Henderson, managing editor of travel website The Points Guy. 

Henderson said that Memorial Day weekend travel is just the beginning.

“We are expecting another really intense summer travel season. In fact, we could see a lot of records broken this summer again,” he said.

How to quickly get through airport security 

Henderson said that getting through the airport smoothly begins with how you pack.

“Don’t pack all this stuff where you got to carry it to the airport. Pack light,” he said.

Also,if you don’t have TSA Pre-check Henderson suggests getting it for your next trip. 

“You don’t take your shoes off. You don’t take your belt off. You can pretty much put everything up there and they’re not taking things out of your bags,” said local traveler Pam about the program that offers expedited security screening. 

And stay a step ahead by making sure you’re not delayed; you can start by checking your plane’s incoming flight using a flight tracking app. Just put in the incoming flight number and if your flight were to be delayed, you would know it before most. 

“You want to be ahead of the people on the plane. In case your flight gets canceled or significantly delayed, you want to go in with as much information as possible that you can feed to a customer service agent. Say, ‘Hey, put me on the Delta flight instead,’ or whatever the case may be, so knowledge is power here,” Henderson said. 

Locally, both Miami International Airport and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport  expect parking garages to fill up. It is recommended to get there using rideshare apps, a taxi, or public transportation. 

Traveling by car during Memorial Day weekend

AAA says the most crowded time to be on the road will be this Thursday and Friday afternoon between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. If you have to travel on those dates, avoid a driving nightmare by driving before noon or after 7 p.m., the organization said. 

“If you can avoid those traffic jams and the issues on the road, then it’s a better way to start your vacation,” said Bobby Killen, a local driver.

Michael, another driver, planned his travel from Central Florida to avoid hitting Miami rush hour. 

“I know the traffic down in Miami is tough, you know, morning-evening kind of things so I adjust everything,” Michael said.